A corpo



Jan. 16, 1923.

Alm

rg l, l,

Jan. 16, 1923. 1,442,705

C, .FfSM-ITH.

RQTARY VALVE. I v FILED JUNE 19, 1922y 2 sHEETs'sHEET 2 Patented Jan. 16, 1923.

UNITED'` STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARLISLE FORREST SMITH, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO BOURNON- VILLE ROTARY VALVE MOTOR COMPANY, OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPO- RATION OF NEW JERSEY.

ROTARY VALVE.

Application filed June 19, 1922. Serial No. 569,478.

T0 all wlw/m, t 17mg/ concern Be it known that I, CARLisLn Foinnisr SMITH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jersey City, in the county yof -Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Rotary Valve, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to rotary valves and particularly to rotary-valves controlling the intake and exhaust of internal combustion engines.

An important object of the invention is to provide a construction which is simple to manufacture and causes the valve to be at all times tight and to accommodate itself to expansion and contraction and wear, at the same time insuring true bearing for lthe valve member under all variations.

The valve involves a novel compensating device possessing a floating shoe, which is supported tiltingly, and yet rigidly, or substantially rigidly, against radial force, so as to move circumferentially of the valve mem` ber in order to move radially to vary thel effective diametei1 of the casing, this shoe being guided in its circumferential movement directly by the curved surface of the valve member itself.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention:

Fig. 1 is a vertical transverse section through. an engine embodying the invention, the engine illustrated being of a general type disclosed in numerous prior patents issued to Eugene M. Bournonville;

Fig. Q. is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1; and I Fig. 3 is a plan view of a slide member.

The numeral 1 designates a cylinder block, and 2 a separate head, the parting or joint being marked 3. The engine will naturally be understood as comprising a plurality o' cylinders, of which the one in the plane o l" the section is marked fl. The head and the adjoining portion of the cylinder bloclr to opposite sides are an intake manifold and port 9, 10 and an exhaust port and passage 11, 12. The cylindrical bore curvature in cludes these several ports and preferably extends above the central horizontal plane of the valve member. The valve member is formed with pocket ports 13 in its sides which are properly positioned to connect the cylinder port 7 alternately with the intake and the exhaust at the proper times. The valve is suitably connected with the crank-shaft to rotate always in one direction, the direction of rotation being indicated by the arrow.

Owing to the novel construction which is about to be described, the fixed bore and the valve member can be made with a substantial clearance (still too small, of course, to illustrate), which is a great advantage for manufacturing purposes. The valve is nevertheless held tight againstlealage and in opposition to the pressure in the cylinders, while being enabled to expand without binding and to contract without loss of power. This is accomplished by means of the novel compensating device the preferred form of which will now be described.

he portion 14 of the valve chamber above the iixed bore and opposite the port 7 is formed to accommodate a shoe 15, or mobile part of the casing, having a segmental under face substantially conforming to a considerable portion of the cylindrical surface ot the valve member, it being understood, of course, that the curvature of the shoe like that of any bearing is of somewhat greater radius than the rotating member. Above, that is to say, back of, the shoe, at the top of the chamber 14 is a straight transverse, inclined, rigid way or slide surface 18. against which the shoe is supported through the intermediary of slide or wedge '16 having a sloping` back '17 affording an extended sliding surfmfc. The shoeand wedge will be understood suitably extended lengthwise of the valve. but it will be obn served that the slope or taper of the wedge is transverse to the shoe and valve and con trary to the direction ofrotation of the valve n'ieiuber. the slope being at a low angle to the line or tangent whichY is at right angles to the central. line passing tl'irough the port 7, the center of the valve member and through or near a rocker joint or point of tiltinOf sup port, the preferred form of which will now be described. A half-round longitudinally extending' rib 19 on the back ofthe shoe in-r er al termediate its sides and a corresponding `groove in the stralght lront or under face v of the wedge, form an articulation or rocker,

its aus parallel with the axis ol? the valve,

which permits 'the shoe to have slight anguL lar movement so as to bear truly atall times against the valve member, there bein; suliicient room between the `shoe and wedge and between the sides or' the shoe and the chamberk for this purpose, and also to vpermit slight bodily movement, the shoe thus float orior the compression or the exhaust, the wedge beingseliholdmg,` 1n this respect.`

iii', however, the` valve tends to stick owing' to expansion, the increased lrictional drag of' the valve member Aon the shoe transmitted tlirough the articulation or toggle 'orces the parts slightly Aagainst the springs and thereby 'automatically relieves the condi-v' tion. Slight radial movement of the shoe,

in or out withrespectto Jthe center ot' the valve, is thus vobtained liyvirtueot 'true circumferential `movementin one direction or the other. Thev 'springsare of such strength as t0 'resist normal ifrictional drag su''lieiently t-o secure the desired tightness;

The articulation 19 affords a barrier which. prevents leakage past it from the intake 'side to the exhaust vside oilf the valve. The bearingr of the shoe upon the valve member and of the back ot the `wedgefe upon.

lthe -surface '18 `is likewise 'gas tight.

Lubricatino,` oil is Vsupplied from a suitable 'source 'through a duct 29 which `passes downward through the top ot the valve casi'ngandhas its lowere'nd deli vering'throuah theinclined face 1S in conmfnmioation 'with V4a channel 30 1n the inclined bei' 'lr olif the wedge, this channel rainning` lengthwise with vrespect to the valife, and being; located vnear the high -portion of the downward slope. 'The oil passes along;v vthis channel and distributed trom it by suitable cross vgrooves'3]. running down the slope ol the wedge. in this way the sliding surfaces of fthe Vwedge land way are lubricated, and the lubricant then passes downward over Vthe It in end or side of the wedge and past the loe "te the valve itself, so that the surfaces e rotaryvalve `member yand of 'the fixed fportlbl of 'the bore and the curved Lface of the shoe are kept lubricated,` all in a very simple and eiiicient manner.

From the foregoingit will be perceived that l, have provided a construction which 'highly advzlntageous both l'or production 70 and in operation. 'The compensatin'r,` `device as herein illustrated comprises a 'two-part movable structure consisting,` of they entirely lreeand mobile'shoe and a movable backing part, represented by the slide or wedge, the two connected by a central rocker which enables the shoe to tilt and follow the cur. vature ot' the valve member while the other part lexecutes a different movement. l deem this the best and most practical embodiment, S0 .but do not necessarily limit mysellI thereto as the shoe may be movably and tiltingly supported on atransverse backing guide in other ways. Thek complete n'lobilitly ot the shoe enables it to adjust itself perfectly toy S5 any condition that may arise.

It will be understoodthat the Iterm rotary valve used herein refers to a valve which rotates always in one direction.

Vhat I claim as new is: y i i l. A rotary valve comprising a rotary valve member, a casing, a,compensatingy device having a mobile shoe movable circumferentially and thereby radially ot the valve .membeig and backing' means whereby the `95 shoe is completely supported at a central region so as to be free `to tilt as it is guided cireumierentially on and .by the curved snrtace of the valve member.

2. In a rota-ry .valve havin fr a rotary valve member and a casing, a shoe bearing' on the valve member, means liiacking` 'the shoeand permitting` the same to relieve the valve member through movement in the direction of rotation of the valve member, and means opposing` the drag oi' the, valve mem-ber on the 'shoe and tending' to move the shoe in the reverse direction to take up clearance,vthe shoe being` liree to tilt on the backing' means and 'floating cirounrterential'ly on the valve 110` member. i

3. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a combustion chamber Sand a valve casing having); a port communicating with Vthe con'ibustion chamber` oil a rotary 115 valve meml'ier in the c sing. a shoe having' a segmental lace .bea..-ngg floatinglv on the valve menlber opposite said ,port` means including' a bitching whereby7 the shoe is sup,- lfiorted againstradial force andrenderedre' 120 sponsive to the drap; olt the valve member So as to move outward or inward with resl'iect tliereto, and means whereby the shoe is cen trally supported to rock onthe backing.

. 4.. ln a rotary valve havingr a rotary val-ve i2 member and Ta casing, an automatic compensating: device comprising atwopart `movable structure having itsfparts connectedfby a rocker joint, one of theipartsbeing'a'shoe "the face, Of whieh oloedientl-y follows the; oon- 1.30

,allegri-rfi tour of the valve member while the other part executes a different movement to cause simultaneous slight recession or approach of the shoe.

5. ln a rotary valve having a rotary valve member and a casing, an automatic compensating device (.'omprising a backing guide or way and a two-part movable structure having its parts connected by a rocker joint, one of the parts being a shoe the face of which obediently follows the contour of the valve member while the other part slides in a different path on the backing guide.

6. ln a rotary valve having a rotary valve member and a casing, an automatic compensating device including a shoe bearing on the valve member and having a rocker at its back, and a backing guide or way inclined at a low angle to a line at right angles to the line passing through the centers of the valve member and rocker, the shoe being free to tilt while performing its compensatingv functions.

7. yIn a rotary valve, the combination with a valve casing containing an incomplete ported bore, and a rotary valve member therein, of a shoe in the casing bearing upon the curved surface of the valve member, a wedge and wedge-way back. of the shoe tapered contrary to the direction of rotation of the valve member, the wedge and shoe being articulated so thatpthe shoe may always bear truly upon the valve member, and spring means opposing movement of the shoe and wedge under the drag of the valve mem-` ber.

8. ln a rotary valve, the combination with a valve casing containing an incomplete ported bore, and a rotary valve member therein, of a shoe in the casing bearing upon the curved surface of the valve member, a wedge and wedge-way back of the shoe tapered contrary to the direction of rotation of the valve member, the wedge and shoe being articulated so that the shoe may always bear truly upon the valve member, and spring means acting upon the wedge in opposition to the drag on the valve member of the shoe. f

9. ln a rotary valve, the combination with a valve casing containing an incomplete ported boro, and a rotary valve member therein, of shoe in the casing bearing upon. the curved surface of the valve member, a way and a ova-ble .member backing the shoe, said mov able member lhaving a rocker connection with the shoe whereby rthe shoe may move 3ircumferentially and radially of the valve member while always bearing truly upon the valve member, and means opposing the the drag of the valve member upon the shoe and tending to hold the valve tight.

ln a rotary valve, the combination with a valve casing containing an incomplete ported bore, and a rotary valve member therein, oil a shoe in the casing bearing upon the curved surface of the valve member, a slidable member backing the shoe, an articulation between said member and shoe comprising a longitudinal rib on one cooperating with a groove in the other, and spring means opposing the drag of the valve member upon the shoe and tending to hold the valve tight.

11. In an engine valve, the combination of a valve casing presenting a curved valve seat, a rotary valve which turns in one direction therein, a shoe bearing upon the top of the valve, a wedge-way at the top of the casing sloping transversely downward contrary to the direction of rotation of the valve, a wedge having its sloping face in contact with said wedge-way, a rocker articulation connecting the wedge and shoe, spring means opposing the drag of the valve member on. the shoe, and means for supplying lubricant between the sliding faces of the wedge and wedge-way and thence to the valve.

12. In a rotary valve, a rotary valve member, a casing having an incomplete bore for said valve member and a slide surface outside the radius of the bore, a mobile shoe bearing floatingly upon the top of the valve member, and movable circumferentially thereof, a member having a rocker articulation with said slice and slidable on said slide surface with the circumferential movements ofthe shoe to vary the distance between the shoe and the axis of the valve, means for yieldingly opposing the movement of the shoe and slidable member under the drag of the valve member, and means for supplying lubricant between the slidable member and the slide surface of the casing and thence to the surfaces of the valve member and bore.

13. ln a rotary valve, the combination of a rotary valve member, and a compensating device comprising a transverse backing guide and a shoe responsive to the drag of the valve member, said shoe being supported centrally by said backing guide so as to be free to tilt in order to be guided circumferentially `by the valve member, substantially as described.

.l-l-. lu a rotary valve, a casing having a port, a rotary valve niembern and a com.. pensating device compr sine a shoe bearing on the C ved surface of the valve member, a transversely movable slide backing the shoe, the shoe and slide having a rocher joint, a transverse backing guide for the slide sloping at a low angle to a line at rioht angles to the central line passing aiiproximately through the port, the rocker lioint and the center of the valve member, and means urging the slide and shoe in opposition to the drag of the valve member.

CARLISLE FORREST SMITH.. 

